The sparkle and shimmer we see in opals is called Play of Color (I wrote a harpsong by that name - surrounded by opal geodes!) and informs our painting as well. No mud, no Lotus One of the concepts we work with in painting is called Mothercolour - more formally: starting with three colors, and mixing a bit of each in varying amounts. More simply - have several colors on your pallet, and mix as you go, so each color has bits of the others. Mothercolor sampler The glazing process we use, covering part or all of the canvas with a thin coat of a transparent color at least once, has a similar unifying effect. When in doubt, glaze! Burnish (soft dry cloth) or not - then sit back and journal. In the early stages, we dumped our water at the end of the day - but as we proceed (and need less and less paint) using 'dirty' paint water also helps bring a little of each color in, which in turn adds Mothercolor harmony. If you're using white, you might want a sepe...